The Crown I Will Take From You - Chapter 281

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Part 2, Chapter 128

They too had questions.

If the Princess of Valdina was truly a saint, why had the divine oracle designated her as a sacrifice?

No matter how evil black magic was, forging a divine oracle was an unimaginably heinous taboo.

That’s why the High Priests couldn’t imagine that Rachel had manipulated even the oracle with black magic.

“Then, just once a month, no, once every two months, no, just once every six months…”

“The Holy Kingdom has no right to demand anything of my sister as a saint. The High Priests should know better than anyone that you lack such qualifications.”

Peleus frowned.

At his mercilessly cold voice that left no room for negotiation, the priests stamped their feet in frustration but couldn’t say a word.

Chezare snorted.

The priests’ faces turned red with shame at the blatant mockery, yet they couldn’t utter any excuse.

“Your Highness…”

The assembly was crushed under the fierce pressure from the Emperor of Valdina and the 1st Prince of Kazen.

Far from negotiations, they feared when their anger might explode and devour them, making their knees weak.

Naturally, all eyes turned to Princess Medeia.

She seemed like the only person among these cruel men with whom conversation was possible.

“…”

Medeia silently observed the changing atmosphere in the room.

‘The Holy Kingdom has already lost the initiative.’

The error of failing to recognize the agent who had returned to the continent and nearly offering her as a sacrifice according to the oracle could not be undone in any way.

However.

‘I can’t make the Holy Kingdom an enemy.’

Even if it had lost its former reputation due to black mage infiltration and long corruption, the Holy Kingdom was still one of the three most powerful nations on the continent.

‘I can’t just throw away that protection.’

Her green eyes sparkled as she finished her calculations.

‘Besides, Kazen’s coronation ceremony remains.’

Soon after leaving the Holy Kingdom and arriving in Kazen, an official coronation ceremony as the 1st Prince’s consort would be held.

It would be the first stage to imprint her upon the Kazens.

Medeia knew well from her previous life’s experience that this schedule couldn’t be delayed by even a day.

‘If it’s delayed even by a day, establishing myself in Kazen will become difficult.’

She still wanted to finish Rachel with her own hands and complete her revenge personally.

After learning the reason for her brother’s death in her previous life, that desire had grown even stronger.

But now, she couldn’t be swept away by such lingering emotions.

The days ahead when she would have to face Perdickas II and Jason in Kazen remained.

So her relationship with the Holy Kingdom too had to flow in a direction that could bring about the best results, excluding emotions.

As Medeia’s silence lengthened, the Holy Kingdom people grew increasingly anxious.

“Then, how about we unofficially honor Your Highness?”

A High Priest beside the Pope suggested.

“Even if you don’t want an official proclamation as a saint, we could arrange for Your Highness to utilize all the power and influence given to a saint in the Holy Kingdom.”

Chezare noticed Medeia’s eyes silently sparkle and disappear, and suppressed a smile.

‘Did she orchestrate this from the beginning?’

A way to enjoy maximum benefits with minimum obligations.

“Temple Knights would escort Your Highness, and High Priests would accompany Your Highness—”

“I need neither escorts nor priests.”

However, seeing that she still didn’t relinquish control, Chezare immediately realized this wasn’t all Medeia was aiming for.

“Especially since the escorts don’t seem like they’d be better than those I already have.”

Facade and the Agema stood beside Medeia.

“But, but…”

The High Priests were momentarily speechless.

This saint was different from Rachel—she wasn’t merely a divine agent.

She was the only sister of the New Empire’s Emperor, and now, the 1st Prince’s consort of the Old Empire that held continental hegemony.

Moreover, she herself was bold enough to slay an evil dragon directly. She wasn’t someone the Holy Kingdom could manipulate at will.

“And one more thing. Now you all know well that the Shadeian shaman was the agent you were seeking.”

Medeia turned her head toward the Pope.

“Find and protect the Shadeian tribes scattered across the continent, and acknowledge the persecution the Holy Kingdom inflicted upon them.”

Shadeia? What’s that?

The ministers looked at each other with tilted heads.

Only a few old priests hesitated.

Those who knew the truth, and those who didn’t even know of their existence.

A strange rift formed in the assembly’s atmosphere.

“But, but the Shadeians are heretics!”

Then, a sharp voice rang out. It was High Priest Paulo.

Half-rising from his seat, he shouted roughly.

“They are heretics who spoke the Goddess’s will through distorted customs, calling themselves shamans and disturbing the world!”

He had tried to endure quietly, but this was something he absolutely couldn’t tolerate.

For Paulo, who arrogantly identified himself completely with the Holy Kingdom, this was a taboo he couldn’t and shouldn’t accept.

“How can one called a saint acknowledge apostates and invite evil!”

However, Medeia was resolute.

“If you insist on hiding the saint’s origins to the end, I will never accept this title.”

“Your Highness!”

She looked past the murmuring priests toward the Pope. Her clear gaze seemed to await an answer.

“…”

How much time passed?

“…I will do so.”

The Pope nodded, swallowing a sigh.

The time had come to reveal to the world the truth they had desperately hidden—that the Holy Kingdom’s beginnings were not so honorable.

‘A moment that had to come someday has simply arrived in my generation.’

“Your Holiness!”

Paulo cried out in shock.

“Look clearly. Don’t you know what is truly important to this Holy Kingdom?”

At the Pope’s rebuke, the High Priests hesitated and drew in their breath.

They finally realized.

The moment they lost the true agent, the very legitimacy of the Holy Kingdom they sought to protect could be shaken.

‘We must prevent the saint from completely leaving our Holy Kingdom.’

They still desperately needed the saint’s existence, so they had no choice but to accept her conditions.

There was no other option.

Just as this tacit agreement was being reached.

“Your Holiness…”

A priest standing at the entrance to the Pope’s office looked troubled.

Beside him stood a guard in gray armor.

“What is it?”

The Pope asked amid the unsettled atmosphere.

“Well… the criminal Rachel is demanding to see Your Highness in prison. She says she has something to tell Your Highness…”

“What?”

Instantly, the air in the room stirred.

Since the fake saint’s identity was revealed, the Holy Kingdom had tried to uncover the black mages’ stronghold through Rachel.

But she, who had remained silent through all interrogation and torture, was speaking for the first time.

With a request to meet Medeia.

“If you let her see Your Highness, then she’ll reveal the black mages’ stronghold…”

“How dare a criminal, especially one who deceived the Holy Kingdom, make such a personal request?”

Anger seeped into the Pope’s voice.

“But, Your Holiness. She’s offering to reveal the headquarters of those wicked beasts.”

“We’ve finally caught our first clue, and if we let it slip away like this…”

These were people who had never surfaced no matter how hard they searched until now.

“There may not be another chance. Your Holiness, Your Highness the Princess. Please judge wisely.”

Though he spoke while looking at the Pope, everyone present knew.

That the decision on this matter rested solely with the Princess.

‘Besides, isn’t she already a condemned criminal awaiting execution? Perhaps she wants to see Her Highness the Princess one last time to repent for her sins.’

‘If our Holy Kingdom could wipe out the black mages, we could cover up this disgrace.’

The High Priests looked at the Princess with faces unconsciously filled with longing.

Medeia easily noticed the expectation flickering in their eyes.

Medeia’s gaze turned cold.

“Those who serve God are being rather greedy.”

“First you told me to shoulder the Saint’s duties, then you asked me to handle Rachel’s execution. And now, you want me to go see her as well?”

Just allowing the Holy Kingdom to execute the fake Saint was already a step back for Medeia.

“It’s impossible.”

The Princess’s declaration to the priest was short and intense. The assembly stirred again. To reject it outright without even hearing more.

“But…! Saint, please consider it once more carefully.”

“Despite mobilizing all of the Holy Kingdom’s personnel, we haven’t even been able to identify the black mages’ exact stronghold.”

“That’s exactly why it’s a trap.”

Medeia said coldly.

“These are people who have lived in hiding for half a century. When they sent Rachel into this Central Temple, do you think they didn’t consider the possibility of their location being exposed?”

“…”

As if at a loss for words, the priests who had been vehemently objecting fell silent.

“Have you checked inside her mouth?”

Medeia asked calmly.

“…There exists a curse among black magic that forces silence at the cost of one’s life.”

Knight Commander Leniart of the Temple Knights agreed.

“Perhaps Rachel ‘can’t’ speak rather than ‘won’t’ speak.”

Medeia nodded quietly.

“If I go to meet her, she’ll point to me as a fake again. She’ll claim she merely fell into my trap and create evidence or phenomena that could shake your faith.”

“What could a restrained criminal accomplish? This seems like excessive concern.”

“There’s no way we’ll be fooled by her again!”

Some priests objected.

However, Medeia couldn’t let her guard down until the end.

“You who were deceived by her silver tongue and demanded the completion of the oracle?”

She found Paollo among the High Priests. Her green gaze lingered on him long enough for others to notice.

“Unfortunately, I have no intention of taking any more risks. Please engrave in your hearts that faith without doubt is more dangerous than heresy itself.”

Those words completely shattered High Priest Paulo’s pride, who had been Rachel’s foremost protector, and slapped his cheek.

‘To, to compare us to heretics…!’

Paulo’s face turned red as a crimson sunset with shame.

Veins bulged above his thick nape.

However, neither he nor anyone else present could dare refute the Princess’s criticism.

‘What words can we say when we ourselves have proven how shallow that faith was?’

Among those struck dumb by shame and humiliation, the Pope, who hadn’t lost his reason, commanded Chief Priest Anastasia.

“…Go and check.”

A short while later, Anastasia, who had gone to see Rachel, returned.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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